Clearly a
Punch

Jamaican funk, Barbados brightness, demerara depth.

A milk-clarified punch built on a layered rum base: Jamaican funk up top, Barbados brightness in the middle, demerara depth underneath. Orange-forward citrus, a honey-cinnamon-orange-blossom syrup, and a touch of bitter aperitivo. It goes in funky and over-flavored, and comes out crystal clear with a pale straw tint.

Plate Iserved over a single large cube
Yields
About 6 cups · 1.4 L
Technique
Milk clarification
Timing
Oleo 1–4 hr · rest overnight
Keeps
3–4 months, room temp
What you'll need

Ingredients

Batch
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Building the batch

Method

  1. 1
    Make a light oleo saccharum

    Muddle the citrus peels with the cane sugar and let macerate 1 to 4 hours, or even all night, until the sugar pulls the oils into a fragrant syrup.

  2. 2
    Build the batch

    Combine the four rums, the oleo liquid, the syrup, citrus juice, aperitivo, and bitters. Stir well.

  3. 3
    Taste before clarifying

    It should taste bold and slightly over-flavored, with a touch of bitterness. Adjust now if needed, since clarifying will round it off.

  4. 4
    Clarify

    Combine the batch with the milk and stir well. Rest it in the fridge for about an hour; the cold helps the milk curdle and clarify cleanly.

  5. 5
    Strain clear

    Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean container. If milky, pass it through the curds again, until it runs clear with a pale straw tint.

  6. 6
    Rest & serve

    Finish with the saline if using, bottle, and rest in the fridge at least overnight so the flavors integrate. Serve chilled over a large cube or neat.

On keeping

Once clarified, this punch is shelf-stable and keeps at room temperature for three to four months. It actually improves over the first few days, as the flavors integrate.

Batch cocktail · serve responsibly
No. 001 — The Clarified Series